20 May 2013

Legends of the Force

After my last trip to Walt Disney World I did a report on
what was great and what needed work on the last trip. This time I was able to
experience the first day of Star Wars Weekends and I thought that we could give
it some kudos and some constructive criticism in the same vein of the last
report from the field for this massive event that takes place annually at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

The Good – Hyperspace Hoopla

If you’ve never experienced a Hyperspace Hoopla from Snig
and Oopla, you have not truly seen all that Star Wars and Walt Disney World
entertainment can do together. Suspend your dyed-in-the-wool beliefs of what a
character can and can’t do, and let the continuity fly out the window. This is
pure, unadulterated fun! A host of Star Wars characters dancing to Gangnam
Style? Check. A dance off between the Empire and Rebel Alliance? Done. The best
pyrotechnics in a stage production? Absolutely. And don’t even get me started
on the amazing costumes and accessories! The Hyperspace Hoopla is a massive
investment in time in order to get a good spot, but it is incredibly worth it.

The Bad – Character availability

Once upon a time, I remember a cavalcade of characters
wandering the park and meeting with guests as if it were a populated spaceport.
Now they are roped off in lines the stretch through switchbacks for ridiculous
amounts of time, and then after all that waiting, you may not even get to meet
the character you got in line for.

I understand the logistical nightmare of allowing characters
to roam freely, and how it helps to give them a specific location. I also
recognize that the costumes can get hot and Cast Members need time to cool off
regularly. However, it can be excruciating to explain to a child why they saw
hordes of other kids get their picture with Jedi Mickey and why they were the
one stopped in the line to watch him leave and see Stormtrooper Donald come back
in his place, or to the girl who looks up to Ashoka only to find the bait and
switch has put her in the clutches of Ventress. I watched both of these
situations take place during the day, and it was heartbreaking to watch.

I don’t have all the answers, but maybe it would be better
to put in a ton of photo-op lines all over the open spaces of Disney’s
Hollywood Studios. Then have one character solely occupy one location. It may
not be as free spirited as characters moving about of their own accord, and the
wait between when a character leaves and comes back could be longer than you’d
want as a guest, but at least it brings the event back to its core audience,
children.

The Ugly – Autograph Fastpass Distribution

Here was the situation on Friday morning. There were five
celebrities available for autographs that had Fastpasses being distributed in
order to meet them, but there were only two lines to get those Fastpasses. The
lines stretched from the ticket windows back to Crescent Lake. At one point a
Cast Member came through and gave everyone a wristband which guests were told
would allow them a Fastpass to meet their celebrity. Once the line began to
move we were told we were all getting Fastpasses for Jeremy Bulloch, the
original Boba Fett . Luckily this was the participant I had my heart set on
meeting. My wife and the girl in front of us, on the other hand, had wanted to
meet Ashley Eckstein, and were told by Cast Members that their wristband would
only allow for this meet and greet, that they could not exchange it for another
wristband, but that they were welcome to come back in two hours to retrieve another
Fastpass for another meet and greet. Two hours later and, surprise surprise,
all the Fastpasses had been distributed for the day.

I’m not entirely sure why there wasn’t a Cast Member
explaining where the correct lines were at the back of the two lines. And I’m
certainly not sure where the other three line were. I don’t know why guests
weren’t told that the wristband that was being affixed to us was only for one
celebrity participant. And I’m befuddled as to why a child, or any other guest,
couldn’t switch wristbands before they had accepted the Fastpass and while the
other line was empty. The system absolutely needs to be reworked before one
guest too many has had enough and causes a scene at what should otherwise be a
festive event.

The Magical – Obi-Wan and Beyond

There are a lot of special shows that take place during the
weekend. From a Clone Wars panel to the tales of what it is like to work in the
Star Wars universe by special guests, but the one show that takes the cake is
James Arnold Taylor’s one man show. Billed as Obi-Wan and Beyond for Star Wars
Weekends, the show is actually an abbreviated version of the deeply personal 80-minute
exploration written by Taylor and titled Talking to Myself.

Sure, as the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in video games and the
Clone Wars cartoons, Taylor shows his range in a five-minute finale that boasts
somewhere around two hundred voices, but that’s not what makes this show hit
home. Audiences are given insight into the life and times of a vocal actor,
everywhere they are utilized, and everything they have to be able to do. Yet,
still, that isn’t what makes the show. When you get to the heart of the story,
it is the journey of one man. From his childhood fascinations the show
springboards into heart-wrenching personal moments of strife, struggle and,
ultimately, success. Taylor gives you reasons, if not the tools, to push
through your personal complications, no matter how dire the situation may seem.

Sure, I do voices at home (my wife was stunned to hear
Taylor explain the way to change voices in the same way I have described my
switch between Grover and Yoda), but I’m not actively seeking to be a voice
actor (at least not today). My struggles come from trying to find a way to make
writing and talking about Walt Disney World my day job. I’m not there yet, nowhere
near there yet, but it’s nice to have a reminder that I can get there.